Air circulator



'July 12, 1938.

M. WEBER AIR CIRCULATOR Filed March 22, 193'? lllllHiIi 5f' 2sheets-sheet 1 M. WEBER AIR CIRGULATOR July 12, 193s'.7

Patented July 12, A1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE am ccULA'roR Y MaxWeber, Ghicago, lill. application Maron .22, i937, seriali No. 132,223

i claims. y(ci. 2st-m3) The present invention relates generally to aircirculators. More particularly the invention relates to that type of aircirculator which is designed for general use, that is; for use inventilat- 5 ing and circulating air in homes, oillces and otherestablishments, and comprises an electric motor, a fan wheel on one endof the armature shaft of the motor, a wire formed guard around the fan-wheel, and a bracket for supporting the assembly io. of motor, fanwheel and guard so that it is adjustable into different angularpositions and the stream of air emanating from the fan wheel duringoperation of the circulator may hence be directed as desired. 15. Oneobject of the invention is to provide an air circulator ,of this typewhich is .generally an improvement upon, and operates with lessvibration and noise than, previously designed circulators of the samegeneral character by reason of 2 0 the fact that the wire formed guardcarries the electric motor for driving the fan wheel and in turn ismounted on and supported by the bracket and hence serves not onlyyieldingly to support the motor but also to absorb any vibrationresulting from drive or operation of the motor and fan Wheel and thusprevent it from being transmitted to the bracket.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air circulator of thelast mentioned character in which the bracket supports the assembly ofelectric motor, fan wheel and guard for complete or entire universaladjustment, and comprises (1) a base which is designed or adapted to beplaced either on the iioor or a table or like support or k against awall or panel, and (2) a IIJ-shaped member which has, its central partconnected pivotally tothe base and its end parts or ex remitiesconnected pivotally to diametrically opposite portions of the guard.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air circulator of thetype and character under consideration in which the conductors forVsupplying current to the electric motor are so arranged that they do notin any way interfere with universal adjustment of the assembly of motor,fan Wheel and guard, and include sections which extend upwards throughthe base of the bracket and then branch outwards andextend upwardlythrough and longitudinally of the end parts of the U-shaped member andother sections which extend from the pivotal connections between theextremities of lthe U-shaped member and the guard to the motor casing.

A still further object of the invention is to provm/'ide an aircirculator which is generally of new and improved construction and maybe produced at a low and reasonable cost due to the construction thereofand the specific arrangement of its parts.

I Other objects of the invention and the various 5 I advantages andcharacteristics of the present air circulator will be apparent from aconsideration of the following'detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which arehereinafter set forth and are l@ more particularly defined by claims atthe conclusion hereof.

lin the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specificationor disclosure and in which like numerals ot reference denote correwspending parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a iront view oi' an air circulator 1 embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the assembly 'of motor, fan wheel andguard tilted into a posi- '20 tion wherein the fan wheel extendshorizontally and is adapted to direct air upwards;

Vltigure 3 is a top view illustrating the manner in which the U-shapedmember of the bracket is pivotally connected to the base so that theassem- 25 bly may be swung or rotated bodily about an axis at rightangles to the base;

Figure 4 is a sideview of the lcirculator illustrating the manner inwhich the pivotal connections between the end parts or extremity of the-`30 U-shaped member of the bracket and the `wire formed guard permitthe assembly of motor, fan wheel and guard to tilt angularly about anaxis at right angles to the axis about which the assembly is free torotate or turn; 35

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the pivotal connectionsbetween the end parts of the U-shaped member; and Y Figure 6 is anenlarged sectional view of the pivotal connection between the centralpart of the 40 U-shaped member and the base of the bracket.

The air circulator which is shown in the draw-4 ings constitutes thepreferred embodiment of the invention. Itis adapted for general use orapplication in connection with Ventilating, or the cir- 45 culation ofair in, homes, omces and other establishments and lcomprises as the mainparts thereof an electric motor ll., a fan wheel t, a hollow guard iland a bracket llt.

The motor l operates to drive the fan wheel 8 50 in order to cause thelatter to draw in the surrounding vair in back of it and project orpropel it forwards in a concentrated high velocity stream.

It embodies a substantially cylindrical casing Il and an armature l2 andis supplied with current 55 ductor I3 consists of a pair of sections|38' and I3b and includes in the section |3El a switch I1. The conductorI 4 consists of a pair of sections I4n and I4b and its section I4a andthe section I3EL of the conductor I3 extend through a hole I8 in thecasing and are suitably connected to the field windings of the motor.The switch |1 is mounted on the rear end Wall of the motor casing andembodies an actuating element I9 for shifting into its open and closedpositions. When the plug I6 is in place within a socket and the switchis shifted into its closed position by manipulation of the actuatingelement I9 the circuit for the motor 1 is closed with the result thatthe armature revolves and through the medium of the shaft I drives thefan wheel. Upon shift of the switch into its open position the motorcircuit is broken with the result that drive of the fan wheel stops.

The fan `wheel 8 is disposed within the guard 9 and consists of anelongated hub 20 and a plurality of blades 2|. The hub is provided witha pyramidal front end 22 and has a longitudinal or axial socket 23 inits rear end. 'I'he projecting end of the armature shaft I5 ts withinthis socket and is attached or connected to the hub of the fan wheel bymeans of a set screw 24 which extends through a transverse hole in therear end of the hub and is provided with a kerf v 25 at its outer endwhereby it may be turned by way of a screw driver or similar turningtool. The blades 2| are formed integrally with and project radially fromthe front end of the hub 20. They are angularly disposed or arranged andembody suction faces 2| at one side thereof and pressure faces 2|b attheir other side. The fan Wheel is preferably like that which is shownin and forms the subject matter of United States Letters Patent No.1,933,948, granted to me November '7, 1933, and Whenit is driven as theresult of operation of the electric motor 1 the suction faces 2| thereofoperate to draw inwardly the air surrounding the motor and to deliversuch air `into the path of the pressure faces 2|b and the latter projector propel the air forwardly.

The hollow guard 9 serves to prevent objects from being brought atrandom into contact or engagement with the blades of the fan wheel. Itis fabricated or formed from pieces of Wire, as shown in the drawings,and comprises a main or centrally disposed ring 26, three front rings21, a pair of back rin'gs 28, and a clamping ring 29. The main ring 26is slightly greater in diameter than the fan wheel 8 and is disposed inencircling spond in diameter to the outer and intermediate front ringsand are concentrically arranged and slightly axially offset. They serveas guards or protectorsr for the suction faces 2|a of the blades 2| ofthe fan wheel and are secured in place by means of wire connectingpieces 3| which extend between and are welded to the back rings and alsothe main ring 26. The clamping ring 29 is of the split variety and isconnected to the back rings 28 of the guard by Way of wire L-shapedconnecting pieces 32. It encircles the front end of the casing of theelectric motor 'I and is securedin clamped relation with respect to themotor casing by way of a bolt 33 which extends through the ends of thering 29. 'I'he L-shaped connecting pieces 32 are welded to the clampingring and extend substantially radially therefrom. 'I'hey outer ends ofthe pieces 32 are arranged in interwoven relation with the back rings 28and are welded to the latter in such manner that the clamping ring 29 isconcentrically positioned with respect to such rings. The clamping ring29 constitutes means whereby the electric' motor 1 is carried by thewire formed guard 9. In order to assist the radially extendingconnecting pieces 3|) and 3| in holding the rings in concentric relationthe guard is provided with a pair of diametric pieces 34 of wire. Thesepieces extend across the front of the guard and have the centralportions thereof welded to the front rings 21. The ends of the diametricpieces 34 contact with and are welded to the main ring 26. The innerback ring 28 is of such size and the L-shaped connecting pieces 32 areso arranged that in assembling the circulator the fan wheel 8 may bepassed or manipulated through the inner back ring into the space withinthe guard. After manipulating the fan wheel in this manner, the motor 'Iis inserted into the clamping ring 29 and the projecting end of thearmature shaft is fixed to the hub of the fan wheel by inserting it intothe socket 23 and then tightening the set screw 24.

The bracket I0 serves to support the assembly of motor, fan Wheel andguard so that it is adjustable universally. It permits said assembly tobe placed on the floor or a table or like support or hung against a wallor panel and consists of a base 35 and a U-shaped member 36. The base ispreferably in the form of a metal stamping and comprises a circular top31 and a depending annular side wall 38. 'I'he top together with theside wall denes a compartment 39 and has a radially extending slot 48therein whereby the base may be mounted on a hook, nail, or likesupporting medium when it is desired to hang or suspend the circulatoragainst a wall or panel. U-shaped member 36 consists of an innersenilcircular section 36B and an outer semicircular section 36b and isarranged so that the central portion thereof is centrally disposed withrespect to the top 31 of the bracket base 35. The inner section 36 ofthe U-shaped member nts against and is welded or otherwise secured tothe outer section 36h. The central portion of the U- shaped member 36rests on a disk 4I and is fixedly secured tothe latter by means of apolygonal pin 42. The disk 4| is rotatably mounted in a cylindricalsocket 43 in the central portion of the top 31 of the base of thebracket and forms a pivotal connection between the central portion ofthe U- shaped member 36 and the base whereby the U- shaped membertogether with the assembly of motor, fan wheel and guard is permitted torotate throughout 360 about an axis at right angles to the base. Thesocket 43 is preferably formed by depressing the central portion of thebase top '31. The pin 42 extends through registering ror alignedpolygonal holes 44. 45 and 46, which are The.

formed in the central portions of theinner scction 3Iil and the outersection 36b and the disk 4I respectively. The upper end of the pinembodies an enlarged head 41 and' the lower end of the pin has a reducedexternally threaded stein 4B. The latter extends through a hole 49 inthe center of the top 31 of the base 35 and projects into thecompartment 39 and is provided with a nut 50. A compression spring 5Isurroundsv the stem 48 and extends 'between the` nut 5I) and a Washer52. This spring operates through the medium of the nut 50 and the pin d2to bring the central portion of the U-shaped member 36 in contact withthe disk 4I and also to force the disk into irictional engagement withthe socket forming portion of the base top 31 in order to retain thelatter together with the U-shaped member 36 and the assembly of motor,fanwheel and guard in place after rotative adjustment about the axis ofthe cylindrical socket 43. The washer 52 bears against the inner face ofthe socket forming portion of the base top 31 and the nut 50 on the endto the outer blocks.

of the stem within the compartment 31 is pinned.,

comprise outer -blocks 54 and inner blocks 55.

'I'he outer blocks, as shown' in Figure 5 of the drawings, are disk-likein design and fit against and are pinned or otherwise iixedly secured tothe inner faces of the upper ends of the inner sections 36a of theU-shaped member 33 of the bracket. They are `formed ofinsulatingmaterial and iit within the outer ends of cylindrical sockets56 in the outer ends of the blocks 55 with the result that the innerblocks are rotatable relatively of any suitable metal and have V-shapednotches 51 in the inner ends thereof in which the adjacent portions ofthe main ring 25 of the wire formed guard vil .rit and are welded. Theguard is arranged so that the diametric pieces I4 thereof extend betweenthe blocks 55, and the ends of the pieces 34 fit within thenotches 51,as shown in Figure 5, and are welded to the walls of the blocks 55 whichdeiine the notches. The inner blocks 55 of the pivotal connections 53embody outwardly extending centrally disposed integral reduced' stems58. These stemsproject axially through the cylindrical sockets 56andtheir outer ends extend throughl aligned holes 59 in thefextremitiesof the inner and outer sections 435'* and- 36" `of the U-shaped member36jand have externally threaded extremities 60 on which nuts 6| aremounted. These nutsbear against the outer faces of the extremities orend parts of the outer sections 36b of the U-shaped member 35 and whentightened draw the inner blocks 55 toward the outer blocks 54 andoperate either to retard tilting of the assembly of motor, fan wheel andguard or to lock the assembly in place. When it is desired to tilt theassembly so as to change the direction in which the stream of airemanating fromthe fan wheel is projected it is only necessary to loosenthe nuts 6I and tilt the assembly into the desired position. By reasonof the piv- The blocks 55 are formed otal connection between the centralportion of the U-shaped member 36 and the base 35 of the bracket and thepivotal connections 53 between the end parts or extremities of theU-shaped member 36 and the main rin'g 26 of the wire formed guard 9 theassembly of motor, fan wheel and guard may be adjusted universally andhence it is possible when the base I0 of the bracket is ixed in place todirect the stream of air emanating from the fan wheel in any direction.

From the above described construction and arrangement of parts it willbe apparent that when l the nuts 6I remain untightened the assembly ofmotor, fan wheel and guard will be freely suspended in a vertical planewith the Amotor a't the lowermost position due to the fact that theplane of suspension passing through the pivotal l connections 53 lies onthe side of the center of mass of the assembly adjacent the fan wheel.Figures 2 and 3 are illustrative of the position assumed by the assemblyof motor, fan wheel and guard when freely suspended by the pivotalconnections. If the base 35 of the bracket I0 is mounted on a table orfloor the pivotal connection between the central portion ofthe U-shapedmember 36 and the base permits the assembly to be rotated throughout 360about a vertical axis and the pivotal connections 53 permit the assemblyto be tilted vertically throughout 360 about a horizontal axis at rightangles to the aforementioned vertical axis. If the base 35 of thebracket is mounted against a wall or panel the pivotal connectionbetween the central portion of the U-shaped member 36 and the bracketbase 35 permits the assembly to be rotated throughout 360 about ahorizontal axis and the pivotal connection 53 between the end parts or 4extremities oi the U-shaped member 36' and the guard permit the assemblyto be tilted throughout 360 about an axis at right angles to theaforesaid horizontal axis. Regardless of whether the base 35 of thebracket is horizontally or vertically positioned the assembly may merelyby rotation or tilting thereof be adjusted in order to cause the i'anWheel to project its stream in any desired direction. By reason of thefact that the wire formed guard 9 supports or carries the electric motor1 and in' turn is supported by the bracket I0 vibration resulting fromoperation of the motor is absorbed by the guard and hence is nottransmitted to the bracket. In addition the air clrc'ulatorl design orconstruction as a whole is simplified and occupies but a small amount of space in proportion to its capacity.

The conductors I3and I4 for supplying current to the electric motor 1are arranged so they do not impair in anyway universal movement of theassembly of motor, fan wheel and guard with respect to the bracket I0.The sections IilD and `I4h of the two conductors extend through a hole62 in the depending annular side Wall 38 of the bracket base 35 and intothe compartment I9.

vThese ducts lead from the holes 44 and 45 in the central portions ofsaid sections 36HL and 38b and terminate adjacent to the `holes 59. Fromthe ducts 65 the conductor sections i3b and I4b extend inwards throughaligned holes in the end parts of the inner section 36a of the U-shapedsection 36 and the outer blocks 54 of the pivotal connections 53 and aresoldered or otherwise fixedly attached to washers 66 of any suitableconducting material in the sockets 56. These Washers fit in annulargrooves 61 in the blocks 54 and are pinned or otherwise secured againstrotation or turning relatively to said blocks 54. As shown in Figure 5,the washers 66 are spaced from the stems 58 and the surrounding portionsof the inner blocks 55 and bear against washers 68. The latter areformed of conducting material such as brass and t within annular grooves69 in pieces 10 of insulating material. The pieces 'l0 are confinedagainst rotation in the inner ends of the sockets 56 and serve toinsulate the washers 68 from the inner blocks 55 of the pivotalconnections 53. The conductor sections |33 and Illa are connected to thewashers 68 and lead through holes 'il in the inner blocks 55 of thepivotal connections 53 and thence across the back portion of the wireformed guard 9 and into the motor casing 1 where they are attached tothe eld windings of the motor, as hereinbefore described. The sectionsof the two conductors are wrapped with suitable insulating material sothat they are protected from contact with the metal parts of the aircirculator with the exception of the washers 66 and 68. The latter byreason of the fact that they bear against one another and are associatedwith and held against rotation with respect to the outer blocks 54 andthe inner blocks 55 respectively, form sliding contacts between thecontiguous ends of the conductor sections i3b and I4b and the conductorsections IllV and I4 whereby the two sets of conductor sections maintainelectrical contact between one another regardless of the tilting of theassembly of motor, fan wheel and guard.

The herein described air circulator may be produced at a comparativelylow cost due to the construction and arrangement of its parts. Itis notonly adapted for general use because of the fact that its fan wheel maybe shifted universally into any desired position but alsoissubstantially noiselessby reason of the fact that the wire formedguard 9 absorbs all vibration from the motor.;

The invention' is not to be understood asrestricted to the details setforth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An air circulator comprising in combination a hollow guard, a. fanwheel within the guard, an electric motor attached to and supported bythe rear part of the guard and connected to drive the fan wheel, and abracket adapted to support the assembly of motor, fan wheel and guardfor universal adjustment, said bracket comprising a base and a U-shapedmember having the central portion thereof pivotally connected to saidbase and its end portionsextending around the guard and pivotallyconnected to diametrically oppo-- site side portions of the guard on anaxis at substantially right angles with said pivotal connection betweenthe base and central portion of the U-shaped member.

`2. An air circulator comprising in combination a hollow guard, a fanwheel within the guard, an electric motor attached to and supported bythe rear part of the guard and connected to drive the fan wheel, and asupporting bracket including a base and a U-shaped member having the endportions thereof extending around the guard and pivotally connected todiametrically opposite side portions of the latter so that the assemblyof motor, fan wheel and guard is free to tilt, and having'the centralportion of said supporting bracket pivotally connected to the base sothat the supporting bracket together with said assembly is bodilyrotatable about an axis at substantially right angles to the tiltingaxis.

. 3. An air circulator comprising in combination a hollow guard, a fanwheel within the guard, an electric motor attached to and supported bythe rear part of the guard and connected to drive the fan wheel, and asupporting bracket including a U-shaped member extending around theguard, and pivotal connections between the side portions of the guardand the end parts of said U-shaped member of such a character that theassembly of motor, fan wheel and guard may be titled into differentangular positions and including innerv blocks with notches the-rein inwhich` said side portions of the guard fit and are seated.

4. An air circulator comprising in combination a hollow wire formedguard having a diametric reinforcing piece extending across its frontand terminating at the side portions thereof, a. fan Wheel within theguard, an electric motor attached to and supported by the rear part ofthe guard and connected to drive the fan wheel, and a supporting bracketincluding a member extending around the guard and pivotal connectionsbetween the side portions of the guard and the adjacent portions of themember of such a character that the assembly of motor, fan Wheel andguard may be tilted into different angular positions and including innerblocks with notches therein in which said side portions of the guard andthe ends of the reinforcing piece t.

5. An air circulator comprising in combination a hollow circular wireformed guard embodying at the back thereof a clamping member of thesplit ring type and having a diametric reinforcing piece extendingacross its front and terminating at the side portions thereof, anelectric motor mounted in and held in place by the clamping member andconnected to drive the fan wheel, and a supporting bracket including aU- shaped member extending around the guard. and pivotal connectionsbetween the end parts of said U-shaped member and the side portions ofthe guard of such a character that the assembly of motor, fan wheel andguard may be tilted into different angular positions and including innerblocks with notches therein in which said side portions of the guardsand the ends of the reinforcing piece fit and are seated.

6. An air circulator comprising in combination a hollow guard, a fanwheel within the guard, an

electric motor attached to and supported by the rear part of the guardand connected to drive the fan wheel, a suppo. ting bracket including amember extending around the guard and pivotal connections between thesides of the guard and the adjacent portions of the member soconstructed and arranged that the assembly of motor, fan wheel and guardmay be tilted into different angular positions, and a pair of conductorsfor supplying current to the motor extending inwardly through thepivotal connections and thence along the back of the guard and to themotor.

7. An air circulator comprising in combination a hollow guard,'a fanwheel within the guard, an electric motor attached to and supported bythe rear part of the guard and connected to drive the fan wheel, asupporting bracket including a U-shaped member extending around theguard and pivotal connections between the end parts of the U-shapedmember and diametrically opposite side portions of the guard of such acharacter that the assembly of motor, fan wheel and guard may be tiltedinto dilerent angular positions, and a pair of conductors for supplyingcurrent to the motor extending in opposite directions from the centralportion of the U-shaped member along the end parts and thence across thepivotal connections and the back part of the guard to the motor.

8. An air circulator comprising in combination a hollow guard, a fanwheel within the guard, an electric motor attached to and supported bythe rear part of the guard and connected to drive the fan wheel, asupporting bracket including a U-shaped member extending around theguard and pivotal connections between the end parts of the U-shapedmember and diametrically oppo-` site side portions of the guard of sucha character that the assembly-of motor, fan wheel and guard may betilted into different angular positions, and means for supplying currentto the motor including a conductor consisting of a section extendinglongitudinally along one of the end parts of the U-shaped member andterminating adjacent to the pivotal-connection between said one end partand the contiguous side portion of the guard and a second sectionextending from said last-mentioned pivotal connection across the rearpart of the guard to the motor, and a pair of rotary contacts associatedwith the relatively rotatable parts of said last-mentioned pivotalconnections respectively and applied respectively to the contiguous endsof the two sections.

9. An air circulator comprising in combination a hollow guard, a fanwheel within the guard, an electric motor attached to and supported bythe rear part of the guard and connected to drive the fan wheel, and abracket adapted to support the assembly of motor, fan wheel and guardfor universal adjustment and including a base and a U-shaped memberhaving the central portion thereof pivotally connected to the base andits end portions extending around the guard and provided with pivotalconnections between them and the side portions of said guard, a pair ofconductors for supplying current to the motor extending through thepivotal connection between the central portion of the U-shaped memberand the base and thence in opposite directions along the end parts ofsaid U-shaped member and then through said pivotal connections andacross the rear part of the guard to the motor. v

10. An air circulator comprising in combinationa hollow guard, a fanwheel within the guard, an electric motor supported by the guard andconnected to drive the fan wheel, and a substantially U-shaped bracketfor supporting the assembly of motor, fan wheel and guard so that it isrotatable throughout 360 about one axis and is also rotatable throughout360 about an axis at substantially right angles with said one axis.

11. An air circulator comprising in combina- 'tical axis and is alsorotatable throughout 360o on a horizontal axis in the same plane as thevertical axis.

12. An air circulator comprising in combination a hollow guard, a fanwheel within the guard, an electric motor attached to and secured by therear part of the guard and connected to -drive the fan wheel, asupporting bracket comprising a base and a U-shaped member having theend portions thereof extending around the guard, a b

pivotal connection between said base and central portion of the U-shapedmember having an axis substantially vertical with respect to said base,pivotal connections between said end portions of the U-shaped member anddiametrically opposite portions of said guard having axes lying in aplane at substantially right angles with the axis of saidfirst-mentioned pivotal connection.

13. An air circulator comprising in combination a hollow wire formedguard, a fan wheel within the guard, an electric motor attached to andsupported by the guard and connected to drive the fan wheel, asubstantially U-shaped member extendingfpartially around the guard,pivotal connections between the end portions of said member anddiametrically opposite side portions of the guard whereby the assemblyof motor, fan wheel and guard may be tilted into different angularpositions about said pivotal connections and means for supporting theU-shaped member adjacent the central portion of said member.

14.V An air circulator comprising the assembly of a hollow guard, a fanwheel Within the guard, and an electric motor secured to the guard andconnected to drive the fan wheel, with a supporting bracket comprising asubstantially U-shaped bracket, means supporting said bracket adjacentthe central portion thereof, and pivotal supporting means adjacent theend portions of said bracket for supporting said assembly on an axisadjacent the fan wheel which axis is removed from the center of mass ofthe assembly whereby the free suspension of the assembly will be in avertical plane with the motor at the lowermost position.

15. An air circulator comprising the assembly of a hollow wire guard, afan wheel within the guard and an electric motor supported by the guardand connected to drive the fan wheel, with a supporting bracketcomprising a substantially U-shaped bracket extending around the guard,means supporting said bracket adjacent the central portion thereof, andpivotal connections between the end portions of said bracket anddiametrically opposite side portions of the guard for resilientlysupporting said assembly on an axis adjacent thev fan wheel which axisis removed from the center of mass of the assembly whereby the freesuspension of the assembly will be in a vertical plane with the motor atthe lowermost position.

` MAX WEBER.

